Chelsea Thornton 23, 'shot son, 3, drowned her daughter, 4, and then took a bus to hospital as she had a headache'

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Okay, so having a mental disorder means they should have their children taken away? There are A LOT of people with bipolar and/or schizophrenic disorders that don't murder their children. Homicidal tendencies is not even a symptom. People who are depressed (also classified as a mental disorder) are more prone to homicidal tendencies than the schizophrenic or bipolar.

You just can't try to take away people's children based on their mental health, with no history of abuse or neglect. What about a mental disorder that is well-controlled, or no longer present? Would you want to seek treatment knowing you risk having your children taken away?

I think the thing here is she was trying to seek mental help and kept getting turned away. She knew she wasn't right, the family knew she wasn't right, but she wasn't getting the help she needed. I agree with you that just because someone has a mental disorder they shouldn't have their children ripped away from them. In this case, it was obvious because the mother was trying to get help.

By all accounts, she was doing fine. She DID seek treatment, she DID receive treatment. She stopped taking her medication. People do that. I'll double back to the bit about depression. Someone stops taking their Prozac and their children get taken away? Extra difficult for someone struggling with a bipolar disorder.

In my state, they would not necessarily take your kids away for asking for help. If you were a threat to them they would, but people who do the counseling and take the meds usually get their kids back. Here, DFS WANTS people to ask for help, before something like this happens.

By all accounts, she was doing fine. She DID seek treatment, she DID receive treatment. She stopped taking her medication. People do that. I'll double back to the bit about depression. Someone stops taking their Prozac and their children get taken away? Extra difficult for someone struggling with a bipolar disorder.

Gotcha. I thought she was refused, or was sent home after only a few days or something. It's a catch 22 sometimes, because if they stop taking their meds, they can be a danger to themselves or others.

Originally Posted by snowfallsoon

In my state, they would not necessarily take your kids away for asking for help. If you were a threat to them they would, but people who do the counseling and take the meds usually get their kids back. Here, DFS WANTS people to ask for help, before something like this happens.

Some people think they don't need help or are too embarrassed to ask for help.

It says they sent her home "too soon" on several occasions. I'm not sure how one would go about getting institutionalized. Especially on the government's dime. I wonder if she couldn't afford her meds? It does say she was an unemployed student who had just moved.

It says they sent her home "too soon" on several occasions. I'm not sure how one would go about getting institutionalized. Especially on the government's dime. I wonder if she couldn't afford her meds? It does say she was an unemployed student who had just moved.

They send everyone home too soon. The only way to get her inpatient would be to show she was a danger to herself or others. And the family doesn't always know what to do, they aren't experts.

It says they sent her home "too soon" on several occasions. I'm not sure how one would go about getting institutionalized. Especially on the government's dime. I wonder if she couldn't afford her meds? It does say she was an unemployed student who had just moved.

No one probably ever told her she could apply for assistance through the manufacturer. I get my remicaide through the manufacturer. It's $9,000 a pop every 8 weeks. That includes the hospital too (outpatient), though.

Oh, you're totally right. We have to be proactive in our own health care and search things out ourselves. But, if it is someone with mental issues, they may not be in their right mind to be responsible enough. Ya know?

Oh, you're totally right. We have to be proactive in our own health care and search things out ourselves. But, if it is someone with mental issues, they may not be in their right mind to be responsible enough. Ya know?

Right, which is why aftercare is so important. This whole thing is just really sad.

Okay, so having a mental disorder means they should have their children taken away? There are A LOT of people with bipolar and/or schizophrenic disorders that don't murder their children. Homicidal tendencies is not even a symptom. People who are depressed (also classified as a mental disorder) are more prone to homicidal tendencies than the schizophrenic or bipolar.

You just can't try to take away people's children based on their mental health, with no history of abuse or neglect. What about a mental disorder that is well-controlled, or no longer present? Would you want to seek treatment knowing you risk having your children taken away?

No, but when you let your kids live in an environment where there are drugs and you lock yourself and your kids up in the house for days, then yes, there is something wrong and it should be looked at.

There are probably lots of people with a mental disorder that have kids and take great care of them. But everyone in this case seem to have been worried for the kids. Maybe it really was the fault of the doctors for not giving her the proper treatment, or maybe she didn't seek enough help. I don't know. I just wanted to adress the mental health part. Because to me it was the combination of schizophrenia with living in a environment that has drugs, and the locking up that made me feel that these kids should've been living with family.

No, but when you let your kids live in an environment where there are drugs and you lock yourself and your kids up in the house for days, then yes, there is something wrong and it should be looked at.

There are probably lots of people with a mental disorder that have kids and take great care of them. But everyone in this case seem to have been worried for the kids. Maybe it really was the fault of the doctors for not giving her the proper treatment, or maybe she didn't seek enough help. I don't know. I just wanted to adress the mental health part. Because to me it was the combination of schizophrenia with living in a environment that has drugs, and the locking up that made me feel that these kids should've been living with family.

She and the kids had moved out of the house with drugs two years ago.
All of the family says they were concerned, but didn't think this would happen. Had the family been saying, "I'm scared she's going to hurt her children," this would be a different story.